What Can I Do?

The more one knows about the complex mechanisms of the fishing industry in the globalized economy and the ecological consequences of our fish consumption habits, the easier it is to feel discouraged.

Caught between the temptation to ignore information that makes us uncomfortable and confused and the instinct never to eat fish again, we can only ask “But what difference can I make?”

The Slow Fish campaign gives us the opportunity to become more aware and curious, to discover new culinary adventures and to actively participate in our own small way in protecting the resources of the sea. Everyone, whether consumer, restaurateur or fishmonger, can make a difference.

The Slow Fish in Actionsection highlights many positive initiatives, offering practical demonstrations of how we can change course.

The past offers examples of our power: When consumers spoke up against the accidental capture of dolphins in tuna nets in the 1990s, they brought about real change. And swordfish stocks climbed following the launch of the Give Swordfish a Breakcampaign in the United States in 1998.

Of course, these changes must also take place at a political level. Better regulation and most of all effective means of enforcement are essential to getting rid of practices that are harmful and dangerous to the marine environment and humans.

However, beyond the chain of production and processing, it is down to individuals, to each of us, to play an important role in starting to move from a society that consumes to a society that conserves.